Siheyuan: Buyers get rich from hunting

Chapter 790 Young People's Ambition 15

That day, the sun lazily streamed across the courtyard, but the tranquil and peaceful atmosphere was suddenly shattered by a fierce argument. Sha Zhu and Xu Damao, the old enemies, were arguing fiercely in the middle of the courtyard over a trivial matter. Their fury threatened to overturn the entire compound.

The commotion was significant, like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, instantly sending ripples flying. A group of neighbors, usually eager to join in the fun, trotted out of their homes to gather around. Everyone was whispering, their eyes filled with curiosity and gossip, eager to see what the two men were arguing about this time.

Xu Damao stood with his hands on his hips, looking like a cockerel ready to fight. His face flushed crimson, like a boiled shrimp, and veins popped out of his neck. He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Silly Zhu, you have to give me an explanation today! I clearly had this clothesline first. I stretched it out here first thing this morning, and even put a small stool here to reserve space. Why are you taking it? Don't you have any sense of first come, first served?"

Sha Zhu refused to back down. He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white from the exertion. His eyes widened, a glare that seemed to spit fire as he shouted back, "Xu Damao, stop being so unreasonable! Who says that just because you take it first, it's yours? This clothesline is for public use, for everyone. It's not privately owned by your family, Xu Damao. Everyone can use it, so why can't I? You're just making up your own story!"

Xu Damao was furious at Sha Zhu's words, stamping his feet on the ground as if to make a hole. He pointed his finger at Sha Zhu's nose and cursed, "You are an unreasonable and reckless man! All you know how to do is use brute force to solve problems. You have no cultural literacy at all. No wonder you couldn't get married before. You deserve to be single! If you hadn't changed your ways, no girl would have wanted to live with you!"

As soon as these words left his mouth, it was like a raging flame ignited next to a dry gunpowder barrel. With a crackling sound, the gunpowder barrel was completely ignited. Sha Zhu, already simmering with rage, felt a surge of blood rush to his head. His eyes instantly widened as big as copper bells, almost bulging out. Veins bulged on his forehead, twisting like ferocious little snakes. His face flushed crimson, so red it looked like blood, and his teeth gnashed with a clattering sound. He looked like a completely enraged bull.

Sha Zhu roared, the sound shaking the air around him. He rushed forward recklessly like a wild beast out of control, waving his arms wildly, as if he was going to tear Xu Damao to pieces. As he charged, he shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice filled with rage and murderous intent: "Xu Damao, say that again! I'll tear your mouth apart! Today I'll let you know the consequences of offending me, Sha Zhu!"

The neighbors paled with fear at the tense, threatening situation. They ignored everything else and rushed forward like a flock of frightened sparrows. Some stretched out their strong arms, tightly hugged Sha Zhu's waist, and tried to pull him back; others grabbed Sha Zhu's arms with both hands and pulled him back, shouting, "Sha Zhu, don't be impulsive! Don't be impulsive! We've been neighbors for many years. We see each other every day. There's no need to fight over such a small matter!" Other neighbors stamped their feet in anxiety, trying to persuade Sha Zhu while signaling with their eyes that the others should quickly pull Xu Damao away to prevent the situation from escalating.

Seeing that Sha Zhu was being held tightly by the crowd and unable to move for a while, Xu Damao's originally fearful look instantly disappeared without a trace, replaced by full of pride and arrogance. He put his hands on his hips, raised his head high, and a mocking smile hung on the corners of his mouth. He looked like a proud rooster that had won a battle. Not only did he not restrain himself, but he became even more arrogant and continued to provoke unscrupulously: "Come on, hit me if you have the guts! I'm standing right here, why don't you do it! You're a coward, you can only talk but don't dare to take action! You're a spineless coward!"

Sha Zhu was held tightly by the crowd like an iron clamp. He was like a beast trapped in a cage, with no place to use his strength. He was so angry that his whole body was shaking violently and uncontrollably, as if every nerve was jumping with anger. The blue veins on his forehead were bulging like earthworms, clearly visible, as if they would burst through the skin at any time. His eyes were wide open, and his eyeballs were full of bloodshot, as if he was going to spit out fire to devour Xu Damao. He gritted his teeth, squeezed out angry words from between his teeth, and roared at Xu Damao with all his might: "Xu Damao, don't think I dare not hit you! Don't get carried away here, wait until I let you go, you will be in trouble! I must let you know what the consequences are of provoking me, Sha Zhu, and don't kneel down and beg for mercy then!"

At that moment, the previously quiet crowd erupted in a commotion. The new owner, like a slippery loach, struggled to squeeze through the crowd. A faint, gloating smile, uncomfortably smirked on his face, like a biting winter wind, sent chills down your spine. As he squeezed his way, he waved his hands hypocritically and said in a drawn-out voice, "Oh my goodness, neighbors, can't we just talk it out? Why are we arguing like this? It's so damaging. We all live in the same yard, we see each other every day. Why make things so awkward? It'll be so ugly if word gets out." His tone seemed to be one of reconciliation, but his eyes couldn't hide the excitement of watching the fun unfold.

Xu Damao was just worried that no one would come to his rescue, but when he saw the new male owner, his eyes rolled around as if he had seen a savior. He deliberately raised his voice so loud that the whole yard could hear it, and said, "What do you know! This idiot Zhu is targeting me on purpose. He likes to bully people. He relies on his strength to act tyrannically and does whatever he wants in the yard. He doesn't take others seriously at all. Today I must seek justice from him! Otherwise, he will become even more unscrupulous in the future and will shit on all of us!" Xu Damao said while waving his arms. He looked like a victim who had suffered a great injustice and was accusing the evildoer of his crimes.

Upon hearing Xu Damao's distorted accusations, Sha Zhu was furious. The veins on his neck bulged, like angry earthworms wriggling under his skin. He stamped his foot so hard that the ground seemed to tremble. Then he clenched his fists and waved them vigorously, shouting at the top of his voice, "Xu Damao, stop slandering me! When did I ever bully you? Tell me clearly, tell me the time, the place, and what happened! It's obviously you who has been causing trouble, from morning till night. One moment you took my seat, the next moment you dumped my clothes on the floor, and now you're trying to turn the tables on me! How shameless are you!"

The two men, like two roosters with red eyes, started arguing again. Sha Zhu's voice was as loud as a bell, each word filled with anger, as if to erupt all the rage in his heart. Xu Damao was not to be outdone. His voice was sharp and piercing, like a sharp knife stabbing straight into Sha Zhu's heart. Their voices grew louder and louder, echoing in the yard like thunder, shaking the windowpanes and making them buzz. Their emotions became more and more excited. Sha Zhu's face flushed red, and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, soaking his clothes. Xu Damao jumped up and down, gesticulating with his hands, and spit flew everywhere.

The neighbors were disturbed by the clamor. Some frowned, their faces filled with frustration, their furrows like two small hills, as if expressing their inner annoyance. Others whispered among themselves, their voices quiet but remarkably clear in the tense atmosphere. Some speculated about the cause of the quarrel. One asked, "Is it about the last time we divided things?" Another shook their head and said, "No, it seems more like a place to hang clothes." Everyone chimed in, their opinions diverging, but no one came to a conclusion.

The newly arrived male owner stood in the crowd, his lips curled up slightly, revealing a subtle smugness, like a rat that had stolen oil. His eyes darted around, observing everyone's reactions. Then, with a pretentious air of kindness, he cleared his throat and raised his voice, saying, "How about this? I'll judge for you all and see who's right and who's wrong. I'm new here, and I don't have any prejudices. I'll definitely handle this fairly and impartially. We're all neighbors in the same courtyard, so it's great to be on good terms. Let's not let this little thing hurt our feelings." As he spoke, he spread his hands, feigning innocence and sincerity, but his eyes held a calculating gaze.

When Xu Damao heard the new owner was willing to judge, his eyes, which had been a little flustered by the argument, instantly lit up, as if he had grasped at a last straw. He quickly took a step forward, nodding his head like a chick pecking at rice, and said eagerly, "Great, with you judging us, I don't believe this idiot Zhu can still cheat! You have to make the decision for me. This idiot Zhu bullies me all the time, and today he was deliberately looking for trouble. You have to investigate this matter thoroughly and give me justice!" His voice was a little aggrieved, but also a little certain that he would "beat" Sha Zhu, as if victory was already in his grasp.

Sha Zhu was not willing to be outdone. He crossed his hands over his chest, raised his head slightly, and snorted through his nose. His voice was full of disdain, and he said, "Go ahead and criticize me, who's afraid of who? I have nothing to fear if I am upright. Xu Damao, just wait for your true colors to be exposed! I wonder if you still have the nerve to confuse right and wrong here." His eyes revealed determination and anger, as if he was ready to "fight" Xu Damao to the end.

So, the newly arrived man cleared his throat, assumed a dignified and impartial demeanor, and began to ask about the situation in a pretentious and impartial manner. He narrowed his eyes slightly, pretending to listen attentively, nodding slightly from time to time and muttering, "Well, keep going, keep going."

Xu Damao saw this and felt that his chance had come, and he immediately became excited. He waved his hands wildly in the air, spit flying everywhere, and told the story with exaggeration. He portrayed himself as an innocent victim, as if Sha Zhu was the unforgivable villain. "You don't know, I came here early this morning to occupy this clothesline, and even put a small stool here to mark it. But this Sha Zhu, as soon as he came, kicked my small stool aside without saying anything, and said viciously that he wanted to use this clothesline, and he didn't take me seriously at all. I argued with him, and he wanted to hit me. Look at my arm, it still hurts now." As Xu Damao spoke, he pretended to rub his arm, and he looked so pitiful.

Sha Zhu was so furious listening to this that his lungs were about to explode. His face was as red as a ripe tomato, veins popped out on his forehead, and his hands were clenched into fists, his nails digging into his flesh. He stamped his feet in anger, and with each stomp, the ground seemed to tremble. He retorted loudly: "Xu Damao, stop talking nonsense here! Are you taking up space? Your little stool is almost taking up the entire clothesline. How can others use it? I just lightly touched your little stool, and you started scolding me and saying a lot of nasty things. That's why I couldn't help but argue with you. You are simply being unreasonable, and now you are slandering me!" Sha Zhu's voice became a little hoarse with anger, but he still did his best to defend himself, trying to make the new male owner see Xu Damao's true face.

The newly arrived male owner listened to the two arguing, frowning slightly. He pretended to think, but his eyes kept gazing at them, wondering how he could use this incident to establish his authority within the compound. He deliberately drew out his words, "This... the husband has his reasons, the wife has hers. I can't quite make a judgment right now. But we're all civilized people, and violence is definitely wrong. Shazhu, you were impulsive and wanted to hit someone just now. That was definitely wrong."

When Sha Zhu heard this, he got so angry that his eyes widened. He was about to open his mouth to refute, but the male host waved his hand to interrupt him and continued, "Xu Damao, although you are right, your words are too harsh. How can you attack Sha Zhu for not having a wife? This is too hurtful." Xu Damao opened his mouth and wanted to argue, but when he saw the male host's seemingly fair yet unquestionable look, he swallowed his words back.